25 Hands-Off Braises to Make Your Kitchen Smell Like Heaven

My grandfather used to say that there was no better smell than cooking onions. I tend to agree, but there is one culinary undertaking that could have plain old onions beat: braises. Cooked low and slow, braises typically shine when simmered for hours, giving the meat (or vegetables) time to soften and become unbelievably buttery and tender. In the midst of winter, there is no better way to perfume your house than with a smoky chicken stew (where the oven does all the work) or a garlic-and-lemon-scented broccoli rabe braise. And there's no better activity on a chilly evening than crafting an almost hands-off dinner that's not only cozy and aromatic, but will also taste better on day two.

Make one of these 25 braises, and I guarantee that anyone who enters your kitchen will sniff the air and say: "Something smells amazing!"

and, for the ultimate aromatic: braised onions!

What do you cook when you want your kitchen to smell amazing? Give us some smell-spiration in the comments!

A New Way to Dinner, co-authored by Food52's founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, is an indispensable playbook for stress-free meal-planning (hint: cook foundational dishes on the weekend and mix and match ‘em through the week).